GenCon 50: MetaArcade`s Tunnels & Trolls

The ideal alternative for Dungeons & Dragons players yearning for a simpler rule set. This game was originally published in 1975 and became a very real competitor for the a fore mentioned game. Designed by a player, for himself and his friends. I think they were all surprised to see how it spread like wildfire, and endures to this day. They`ve released several editions and adventure books, and are now branching out into the digital RPG world.

This year, MetaArcade has launched a T&T app for mobile devices, allowing anyone 24/7 access to some straight up old school gaming fun. It`s free to play, with in-app purchases of course. They will be publishing a new adventure every week, so it`s worth checking back even after you`ve completed all the currently available stories.

This plays somewhat like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, with the added dice rolls, sudden deaths, random encounters and new artwork from the most excellent Liz Danforth, T&T`s original artist, as well as Peter Laird and Josh Kirby.

You get to choose from the pre-made characters, or customize your own. The traditional races and classes are available for your min-maxing pleasure. Your characters even get to level up as you complete adventures, which range through several level difficulties.

But guys, guys.

I haven`t gotten to the good part yet.

You will also soon get to create your own adventure… as Dungeon Master. This app has a unique feature that allows you to build a playable story, from quest start to random encounters to main baddie! You can then make it available for other players to download and play. It is highly customization and looked really fun to mess around with.